


Pining Away

by A26



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Famous Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Honestly the best romance I've ever written, Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining, Non-Explicit Sex, Romance, Romantic Shenanigans - Freeform, Sporting AU, denial everywhere, futuristic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 18:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13128963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A26/pseuds/A26
Summary: The easiest way to solve a problem is to deny that it actually exists.





	Pining Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shine_Bright_Like_An_Ace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shine_Bright_Like_An_Ace/gifts).



> I low-key love how the origins for the word 'pining' stems from all sorts of words meaning to be in pain, suffer and be punished. 
> 
> Nothing says Happy Holidays like suffering, pain and punishment! :D :D :D 
> 
> I work in retail, the suffering is so very real. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy your wee little gift, I certainly had a blast writing it! :D

“Despite best efforts from the Scouts, the Titans take the victory yet again! Maybe next season they’ll have more luck?” One commentator said to the next. 

“If the Scout’s history tell us anything I’d have to disagree with that!” They laughed in response. 

If crushing defeat and misery had an image next to it in the dictionary, it would probably have Eren Yeager’s face proudly etched there. No matter how much he trained, no matter how much the team’s Captain Levi carried them, or how well strategized Erwin’s coaching plans were, the Scouts were possibly one of the worst teams on the league. 

In a world where relative peace had been obtained, gunfire was now adapted and used not for killing, but rather entertainment. Bullets a thing of a past, the guns used in this game were only designed to temporarily stun the opponent on a varied number of mock battlefields. 

A typical arena was designed to be interchangeable depending on the game and tournament, games ranging from dramatic frag matches to capture the flag. 

While yes, the Scouts were good, they also ranked a perpetual second place. It was frustrating. 

Especially frustrating for Eren, who wanted to go professional from University where he was currently. Their matches so far had already seen their Captain offered a number of jobs after graduation, but Eren was trying his hardest only to receive nothing but junk in the mail. 

He and Levi weren’t ever very close during Uni. Eren found Levi’s demeanour cold and unapproachable and Levi found Eren’s barely contained hero worship of him annoying. They tolerated each other outside of their only shared class: sport. 

On the mock battlefield they worked together well enough if Eren followed orders. Even then, their plans didn’t always work out. They had skilled players but the Titans, their main University rival, had a small army of strength. 

Eren often complained to Mikasa, his adoptive sister, how unfair it was to pitch an academic focused University against a sporting focused one. Apparently it was ‘no wonder the Titans always win’. 

Once University ended and everyone graduated and went their separate ways, Eren found himself in his Dad’s beat up hover car, packing up to move cities for his new job. He came to terms with not getting an offer for a professional sporting career, so decided to try his hand at coaching it at schools instead. 

Thankfully, given his grades and experience, he was able to secure a teaching assistant job at one of the nation’s top schools for exactly that which he wished to pursue. It was as close as he was going to get to his dream coming true. At least he could still work toward it this way. 

Before firing up the engine he noticed Levi kissing his boyfriend a goodbye as he himself headed out to his next adventure. 

It would be five years before he’d see Levi again. 

At a game, actually. 

Levi had gone into the professional world of ballistic combat sports as a solo player. He’d participate in one on one arenas or massive solo gauntlets, and had amassed a huge following. Eren frequently tasted the bitterness of jealousy whenever he saw the man’s face on the back sheet of his morning commute newspaper. 

‘How nice his life must be now,’ he’d often grimly think.

Anyway, Eren never lost his passion for it, despite his classmate achieving everything he himself wanted. He couldn’t complain much though. He enjoyed what had become of his own career and got to see a few of his students progress to become opponents of Levi’s. 

Not that any of them ever won, but hey. Just them making it there was enough to get Eren the recognition he required to progress. 

“Well look who it is,” Eren heard Erwin’s voice and spun around with a smile to shake the man’s hand. 

They were all present to scout a big university league game. Eren had students playing so naturally he would be in one of the main viewing boxes. Looks like Erwin was still coaching, and Levi was here to scout players and observe the upcoming talent with his own manager, Hange Zoe. 

It was only toward the end of the match did Levi approach Eren. 

“I remember you,” he said flatly. 

Eren didn’t know how to take the statement, for it was exactly that. A statement. 

“I remember you too,” he returned, unsure of how else to converse with the man. Eren thought his personality not changing was a shame, since he was relatively good looking these days. Some guys, Eren knew, were alright until they opened their mouth. Levi was one of them. 

“What are you up to these days?” Levi asked, eying Eren from top to bottom. 

“Oh, I’m coaching over at Sina Uni. You play for Mitras, right?” 

Levi nodded. 

“That’s my team down there,” Eren pointed out through the window and Levi hummed blandly his acknowledgement. Fat lot of use bigging up his own players was. Levi was clearly not interested. Eren just wanted the conversation to be over. 

“So, you married now or what?” Levi asked, throwing Eren off guard. 

Eren knew from the news that the last five years had seen Levi through a marriage and subsequent divorce three years later, earlier that year in fact. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring currently. 

“No. You?” Eren shot back, earning himself a snort in response. Eren supposed it was deserving. As much as Levi had made attempts to keep his personal life private from the press, it was inevitable that as the world’s best player, details were bound to emerge somewhere, leaked somehow. 

“Why?” Eren asked. Levi pursed his lips as he watched the teams below firing at each other with their coloured laser guns. 

“I’ve been bored lately, maybe you might want to get a drink sometime?” asked Levi. Eren scrunched his nose up to that. 

“We’re hardly compatible.” Eren was always known for his blunt honesty. 

“Who says I was even making a pass?” Levi was always known for his quick wit. He replied to Eren with a minute smirk when Eren clearly bristled at the remark. 

“Even so, could you imagine us just hanging out like some sort of pair of bros?” Eren mocked. They’d never got along all that well before, why would it change now? Levi snorted. 

“When you put it like that, I change my mind, I was making a pass,” he even laughed. It was short and a little difficult, just as his expressions of amusement always were, but still. Eren smiled. 

“We’d be at each other's throats in seconds,” said Eren, dismissing the idea. Levi hummed in agreement. 

“Is that a bad thing though?” 

“We’ve never really got along, why would that change now?” Eren finally voiced his internal monologue. 

“Did we ever really try to be friends at Uni?” countered Levi. Eren supposed he had a good point. He’d always taken Levi’s cold demeanour at face value and never tried to initiate anything further. Levi on the other hand had an entirely different world of stresses going on. Far too many to be worried about engaging with people with far too much energy and far too few outlets for it all. He’d have ended up on the receiving end of Eren’s boundless animation - something he could barely even take from his own friends, let alone from new ones. 

“You were always such an asshole,” Eren said. 

“You were always too much, all at once, all the fucking time,” Levi shot back. 

“Touché.” 

“Besides, you seem to have toned down a bit now,” Levi added, taking another offered champagne flute from a waiter passing by with a tray. He handed one to Eren. “I might be able to withstand you now.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eren immediately took the bait. Levi smirked at how easy it was to rile him up. He’d been an angry teenager, easily goaded into fights, and Levi could see that that hadn’t really changed at all. He just smiled in response. 

“You’re funny,” Levi said, confusing the bubbles right out of Eren’s champagne. Levi never found anything funny at college. 

“What happened to you?” Eren asked. A nonchalant shrug was Levi’s response, still watching over the game as it was nearing completion. 

“So are you coming for that drink or what?” Levi asked. 

“Aren’t we drinking now?” Eren smirked, shooting a little bit of Levi’s sass right back at him. 

“I meant where we didn’t have an audience waiting with cameras for the next shit I take,” Levi practically spat out. It was clear from most paparazzi photos that he hated the attention. 

“Need to know information Levi, need to know,” Eren rolled his eyes. 

“When you gotta go, you gotta go, man.” 

“Sometimes less detail is more, man,” Eren mimicked with a wince, those thoughts of once imagining how reasonably good looking Levi was brutally replaced with the mental image of him on the shitter squeezing a big one out. For an attractive man, Levi made being unattractive very easy. Eren was so far from turned on right now it was unreal. Eren was impressed, dare he admit. 

“You’ll hate me within the first ninety seconds I swear,” Eren forewarned him. Levi shrugged again, sipping his champagne as the game came to an end. Eren’s team had actually won. 

“Only if you come before I do.” Levi’s ability to say shit like that with a deathly serious straight face also amazed Eren. While he did not appreciate his snark or his sass, he didn’t find himself wanting to cross the seven seas to get away from him. 

“I thought you weren’t coming onto me?” Eren said. 

“Coming onto you? Dear lord have you never heard of foreplay?” Levi chuckled behind the rim of his glass. Eren snorted indignantly. It was so far from flirting, so obvious, that it couldn’t possibly be taken seriously. 

“As long as you don’t try anything and keep your hands to yourself,” warned Eren. Levi was clearly holding back another remark. 

“Trust me, this is a purely platonic offer. I wish only to get to know you in an entirely non-sexual way. I swear,” Levi laughed it off as he finished his sentence. Eren believed him though. 

“Alright,” Eren held his phone out with the keypad on it. Levi almost went to take it, but stopped. 

“Same number,” he said. 

“Really?” Eren was surprised. Surely he’d have that information leaked too. Guess not. 

“No one knows,” he added, confirming Eren’s suspicions. 

Eren left the game that night, Levi’s phone number from five years ago still on his phone. He had his doubts about their next encounter, yes, but he wasn’t dreading it. They were able to hold a conversation despite having absolutely nothing in common. 

Likewise, Levi didn’t dislike Eren’s company as he once had. Something had changed in five years, both of them now in their mid-twenties. 

So they met up for drinks over a game. They talked about the last five years, caught up. Neither of them hit on one another, merely enjoying the conversation as it flowed seamlessly from one topic to the next. 

It was the week after that Eren’s mother fell ill. His father was abroad with his new family and Mikasa was currently in the middle of a tournament, having also gone pro like Levi. 

So Eren took a sabbatical, moved back out to his hometown and looked after her. He was gone for two years before she finally passed away. He couldn’t say he had any regrets. Sure, it had been tough on the family, waiting, but now he finally knew she wasn’t in pain. 

His contact with Levi was minimal. Levi rarely contacted him first aside from the occasional text to ask how Carla was doing. Levi assumed the worst when Eren hadn’t updated his last text in well over a month. 

Eren didn’t stay in his hometown for longer than necessary, eager to return to work, to which he had a full coaching position waiting for him. It was better paying, and now was when he realised he had given up on his dream of playing in the big leagues. 

Once back in Sina and comfortably back into the flow of life, he scrolled through his phone to find a text message a couple of months old. One he’d sworn he’d replied to, but evidently not. 

‘I’m back in Sina.’ He replied. 

Levi called him back almost immediately, startling him somewhat. 

“Hey,” he greeted. 

“Back in town huh?” Levi said. Eren hummed. 

“I’m pissed off at my boyfriend, come to dinner with me instead?” Levi asked. Again, how someone was able to see a romantic side to Levi was beyond Eren. 

“Just as long as no one gets the wrong idea. I don’t want my face in the news tomorrow as your new secret lover,” Eren griped, entirely meaning it. 

“I’ll come get you, just text me your address and I know a place no one will clock us.” 

So Eren did, not expecting Levi to show up an hour later with takeaway bags in hand. Eren’s jaw dropped. 

“What? No one would think to look for me here,” he laughed as he let himself in. Eren had spent at least twenty minutes getting presentable enough to leave the house and here was Levi in sweatpants and a tee. 

“Got a hot date?” Levi asked as he set the food down. Eren snorted. 

“You said you were picking me-“ Eren was interrupted by a laugh and Levi pointing at him. 

“Too easy,” he chuckled. Eren glowered at him. This was why he didn’t like him. Levi was an endless tease. 

They got comfortable on Eren’s sofa, chopsticks in hand and a movie on for background noise. 

They chatted lightly about the food, nearby places to find good noodles, shared stories of food-related adventures and various tips and tricks they’d both picked up circling their shared culinary knowledge. They both learned a thing or two and agreed that a cooking hang out day was a necessity. 

Eren’s straightforwardness still annoyed Levi, and Eren still couldn’t understand Levi, but they got along just fine regardless. 

It was only months later following another argument between Levi and his current lover, did he mention anything about it to Eren while out playing pool.

“He just gets on my nerves, you know?” Levi complained after a few too many drinks. His shots were still scarily accurate given how much he’d had to drink. Eren was impressed. Impressed and a little jealous. 

“Why do you stick together then?” Eren asked. 

“Eh, something to do I guess. I’ve not really dated seriously since I was married to that tall fucking asshole Miké.” 

“Remind me why you guys got married again?” Asked Eren, to which Levi shrugged. 

“I guess I saw something in him, god knows what,” he muttered the last half. “What about you?” Levi changed the subject briskly. 

“I had that date the other day,” he admitted. 

“And?” Levi pried. Eren pulled a face. 

“Eh. Nothing special.” 

“You’ll get there eventually, you’re still young,” Levi assured with only minimal slurring of his words. 

“We’re the same age, moron.” 

“Physically yes, mentally, I’m a forty something year old,” countered Levi. 

“You’re not wrong there, old man.” 

—-

Levi was having a day out with other friends for a change. Hanging out with Eren was easy. They lived close together, in the same city, and it was convenient. He didn’t hold back in telling his other, older friends about him though. 

“So let me get this straight,” Petra began, clearly puzzled, “he’s good looking, single, and has a great personality… you’re not dating, why?” she laughed. Levi pulled a face and shrugged.

“It’s not like that. He’s normal, you know?” 

“So normal you’re not attracted to him?” Petra snorted. 

“Not quite. I mean yes, he’s attractive and I’m not saying I wouldn’t sleep with him, but I dunno, it’s not sexual. We’re just friends. You know, like us two. I can talk about guys and he talks about guys and girls he’s dated in the past,” explained Levi. 

“You talk about exes?” Petra sounded surprised. Levi didn’t see anything weird in it. 

“Yeah, we talk about anything, I can be myself around him, y’know. And besides, I don’t think he thinks of me that way. He’s never exactly taken well to my flirting,” Levi said with a shrug. 

“What, those death glares you direct at anyone you’re interested in?” Petra smirked. She had a point. 

“That’s besides the point, we’re fine as we are,” Levi deflected. 

“If he’s so dreamy then, set me up with him. Prove you’re not interested,” she said with a satisfied smirk. Either way, if Levi refused, she was proven right, and if she was wrong, she’d get a date with a cute guy. Levi caught on to her plan pretty quick. 

“Deal.” 

“Really?”

“Sure, why not?” 

It was the most awkward date of Eren’s life. 

Eren couldn’t fault Petra, he really couldn’t. A natural redhead with a kind demeanour and a killer body, spoke four languages and was well travelled. 

There was never a lull in the conversation, and in most respects the evening went well. There was something missing though - that spark. The same spark, dare Eren admit, he felt with how well he and Levi got along, even if it was only platonic. 

When Levi asked them both individually how it went, they both gave the same answer. The date went well, but it wasn’t much special. 

Eren had been single since before his Mum got sick, putting his mind into a bit of a slump. He felt ready to get back out there and had desperately wanted the date to go well, so naturally had been disappointed. He was however a little concerned that he’d compared her to his best friend. 

It only grew worse when Levi called him up, drunk, wanting to talk. He’d broke up with his boyfriend and just wanted to eat ice cream and obliterate aliens on his gaming console. 

Eren gladly obliged him, joining him for a quiet evening of alien destruction. 

“Hey Levi, my friends and I are thinking of going to Trost lake this weekend for the Christmas ice skating, you doing anything?” Eren asked. Levi set down his controller after dying and stretched his legs out. 

“I’m free. You driving?” 

“Nah, Connie is. It’s just Connie, Sasha, Armin and Mikasa. You remember them right?” 

“You’re still friends huh?” Levi remarked. Eren hummed. 

“Yeah, alright. It’ll take my mind off things.” 

“Great.” 

What Eren had failed to mention is that he and Levi would be squashed in the back of Connie’s family van behind two other couples. Perhaps he hadn’t thought it through very well. Levi didn’t complain much on the forty-five minute long drive though. 

They spent the afternoon’s ride taking the piss out of all the cheesy romantic shit couples do that they both thought were ridiculous. 

“And that month long rule before you’re allowed to fart?” Eren laughed quietly as they snickered between themselves. 

“What the fuck is that about?” Levi elbowed Eren gently as he snorted. 

“Remind us again why you two aren’t dating?” Connie shouted back to them. Eren felt a little flustered, his friends cornering Levi in front of everyone like that. He didn’t dignify it with an answer but he could have sworn in the subtly awkward silence afterwards that he saw the faintest blush on Levi’s cheeks before he turned to look outside. 

Once they arrived, everyone got themselves a snack and took a few selfies in front of all of the Christmas lights. They meandered in and out of the market stalls around the edge of the frozen lake. 

There was a tense moment where a few fans recognised Levi and asked for a photo with him, which Eren was happy to take for them. Once the excitement had died down, everyone regrouped back at the food stalls to pick up some much needed lunch. 

Following that, they made their way to the lake house to get their skates. Sasha being a professional ice skater clearly brought her own blades and would soon decimate everyone else on the ice with her skills. 

Levi took his time lacing up, finishing his first boot once everyone else was already up and ready. 

“I’ll catch up, you guys go ahead,” he said to Eren’s cronies. Eren gave him a look and insisted on waiting for him while the others made a start. 

“Sorry about this, I forgot you’d be surrounded by couples today,” Eren apologised. 

Levi waved a dismissive hand at the remark and finished his other boot quickly. 

“I’ve never ice skated,” he admitted with what Eren could only describe as a laugh thinly veiling nervousness. He grinned broadly at that. 

“The famous Levi finally reveals his weakness!” Eren clapped. 

“Yeah yeah, shut up and let’s go,” Levi griped, hobbling over to the lake’s edge and teetering carefully onto the slippery surface. 

“Do you need a grown up’s hand to hold?” Eren laughed, skating out effortlessly. He was no Sasha, but he came out here every year whenever the lake froze over. He could at least stay upright. 

“Fuck off,” Levi said playfully, starting to move with a bit of a wobble. Eren was close enough to offer his arms out to brace Levi before he fell, and Levi instinctively took hold while his balance returned to him. 

There was a brief moment between them where neither moved. Whatever it was between them was definitely beyond platonic fondness or affection. Neither of them mentioned it, Eren offering his hand for Levi to take until he got used to the movements. It only took a couple of laps around the relatively small lake in order to get the hang of it.

Even though Levi had caught onto how to ice skate and was perfectly fine skating solo after a number of laps, his hand always found its way back to Eren’s. 

Again, no mention of it was spoken. It just felt normal. 

Eren stole a few glances now and then and found Levi’s red nose and cheeks perfectly complimenting his childlike amused smile. At least he was having fun. It didn’t look like he was thinking about his ex. 

He refused to let his mind stay in place for too long though, distracting his budding attraction with points at Sasha whenever she did something awesome. 

For Levi the penny drop moment was when he fell over after trying to skate backwards, taking Eren down with him. Sure, they’d bashed foreheads in the process and it hurt like a bitch, but the smile on Eren’s face with his long hair tickling Levi’s cheeks was a sight to behold. 

“I’m glad my pain entertains you,” Levi complained without any actual venom in his tone. He could only smile at the idiot on top of him as people skated by, paying them no mind. 

Eyes darted to lips and the brief pause felt like a lifetime as neither of them acted upon their urges.

Eren chuckled awkwardly and pushed himself up, offering Levi a hand. He’d clearly wanted to stay together a little longer and Levi definitely felt the tension once he’d got up. It felt like they were being forced apart. 

Levi dusted himself off and the pair returned to their laps in relative silence until everyone’s attention was pulled to the centre of the lake where Connie was down on one knee by Sasha and her face was covered by her gloved hands. 

He was too far away to make out his words but it was obvious enough, given the ring box in his hands. Sasha’s reply was equally as obvious, tackling Connie to the ice without a moment's hesitation. Everyone on the lake was clapping and Eren cheered them on, punching a fist into the air. 

Levi just pressed against Eren’s side a little to steady himself and Eren linked his free arm with him, watching as the couple rounded off their excited proposal. 

They would all have a celebratory drink courtesy of the lake house once they returned to shore. 

The buzz in the air for the rest of the day was enough to keep the group warm until they got home. 

The pair met up again on another day to get dinner and a movie, the topic of marriage still fresh in their evening conversation, especially at the restaurant dining table. Eren only recently noticed how often people must mistake them for a couple. Levi was well known in this city as one of the top athletes. It was also common knowledge he dated guys. Therefore, he had money and the pair often went out together at fancy restaurants. Levi enjoyed the company and used Eren as an excuse to try new foods, a shared passion of theirs.

“You know, Eren, if we’re still single in ten years, we should just get like, friend married,” Levi said between bites. 

“Nice proposal,” deadpanned Eren. 

The way Eren ate with his mouth full would forever repulse Levi. How he ever thought the guy was attractive, he didn’t know. Yet here they were, readily agreeing and committing in full to a joke backup plan to get hitched. Part of them both longed for the conversation to be genuine. 

It ached deep inside both men’s chests, knowing the one they knew the best, understood and connected with the most, wasn’t interested in pursuing romance. Or so they had convinced themselves. 

Which made it annoying as hell for both parties friends, who could clearly see the chemistry that both refused to acknowledge. As hard as they tried to tell Eren and Levi though, the pair were both stubborn for different reasons. 

Stubborn as he was though, Eren bitterly thought of all the lips that had shared kisses with Levi, and thus found himself staring at said lips at the dinner table, reminded of the tense moment on the lake. 

“What is it?” Levi asked, brushing his mouth as if he might have something there. Eren had to blink to refocus his attention back to eye level. 

“Nothing, nothing.” Smooth, Yeager. He had to force his attention back to his food to distract himself. Levi caught on, but said nothing. He had been caught staring on more than one occasion, even if he hadn’t been taken seriously. As of late it had just turned awkward though. Levi couldn’t put his finger on why, though. 

Everything up until recently had been going just fine. It was ever since the ice skating trip, ever since Levi- 

Ever since Levi became single again. 

The penny dropped again and Levi couldn’t make consistent eye contact for the remainder of the meal, the two men suddenly now urged on to eat a lot faster.

The movie was also awkward. Neither of them spoke aside from the occasional chuckle followed by a hushed ‘that’s so us,’ whenever the two main character threw sass at one another. 

There was a particular beach scene where the main male protagonist happened upon a tight, wet pair of swim shorts in slow motion, and it just reminded Levi of the time at the pool party when Eren had come out a pair of his borrowed trunks, two sizes too small.

Those damned shorts left nothing to the imagination and the image was permanently seared into Levi’s mind. It only began to creep back in lately when he’d started to realise there might be potential between them both. Toward the end of his last relationship Levi might have found Eren’s face making appearances in his imagination during sex or masturbation. He wasn’t even a little bit ashamed for jerking off to thoughts of his attractive, single, best friend. He wasn’t about to admit it out loud, though. No way.

It wasn’t until fresh air hit them did Eren receive some clarity of thought, and decided to spark up the conversation again. It was, after all, the easiest thing they were able to do with one another. Talk for hours about anything, nothing and everything. Eren told Levi things he didn’t even tell Armin or Mikasa. Levi had told Eren things he didn’t even want to admit to himself. 

“Hey, Levi?” Eren asked tentatively as they started down the front of the cinema to the parking lot at the side.

“What’s up?” Levi understood his tone straight away. 

“The guys are always asking why we’re not dating, right?” Eren posed it as a question. Levi had an idea where this was going. They’d had this conversation before about eight times. Why don’t they date, followed by a half assed denial of their feelings. Levi was entirely ready to repeat it. 

“You know they’re idiots, right?” Levi was at the immediate ready to brush it off. 

Eren apparently, was not. 

“What would you say if I asked you on a legit date?” Eren asked. That was new. Levi paused in his stride to study him. He looked serious. Nervous, but serious. 

“Depends,” Levi said, making Eren scrunch his brows together.

“On what?” 

“Is this you actually asking?” 

“What if it is?” Eren tried to awkwardly counter. 

“Are you asking or not?” Levi teased, making Eren uncomfortable enough to start walking again. 

“Yes,” he grit out. 

“Yes what?” Levi teased some more, keen on masking his excitement with snark as always. Eren voiced his frustrated complaint with a loud groan, rubbing his face. 

“You know what, fuck it, nevermind-” 

“Woah, hold up,” Levi stood abruptly into Eren’s stride, forcing him to stop, mid-mutter. He glared down at Levi who was smiling softly for a moment until he was able to gauge just how pissed off Eren really was. It was a fairly mild case of Eren getting pissed at him for teasing him. Eren didn’t have much of a sense of humour. He never did. 

Levi looked around, considering his odds of being able to kiss Eren unnoticed, but was just left stood awkwardly in front of him when a couple left the cinema behind them and walked by. 

“I uh,” Levi didn’t know what to do now he’d stopped Eren and his plan to kiss him had fallen through. Frustrated, Eren brushed past him and started walking back to the car. 

Levi fell a few paces behind Eren, thoughts spinning. Why should it be weird for them to date? They knew each other so well. 

Maybe that was the problem. 

They got to the car and the ride back to Eren’s to drop him off was quiet. Eren got out and Levi insisted on following him, grabbing his hand before he was able to get his keys into the lock. 

Before Eren sulked for a week and didn’t speak to him, Levi mumbled an apology in advance before slipping a hand behind Eren’s neck. Eren flinched, the area sensitive as always, but didn’t pull away. 

Eren was often dense when it came to recognising romantic or sexual advances, but the way Levi’s eyes were flicking between his eyes and his lips was drawing him nearer like a hypnotised cobra, enthralled by the other man. Their lips met briefly, much like a peck between close friends, but the second kiss held every ounce of longing and pent up frustration built over the last ten years.

Eren groaned against Levi’s mouth who gladly swallowed the noise, allowing Eren to back him up against the front door. Eren pressed himself up against Levi’s well built athletic body as their kiss grew heated, a panting mess of tongues and teeth. 

Levi heard a rustle and footsteps from the street behind Eren, followed by the distinct shutter of a camera lens. 

“Fuck,” he cursed as he broke away, looking over Eren’s shoulder at the trio of lucky photographers. He had a few boyfriends before who hated the attention and ultimately left him for it, so he forced Eren’s head to stay looking in his direction. 

“Don’t move,” he whispered, pulling Eren’s hood up over his head, gesturing for his keys. He unlocked the door, ordering Eren to not look before dragging him inside. Eren obeyed, keen to stay as anonymous as humanly possible.

Once the door was closed and they were safely away from prying eyes, curtains drawn, the pair laughed and Eren leant in for a hug. 

“Was that kiss weird or?” Levi couldn’t help but worry. 

“It wouldn’t be the first time my best friend has given me a semi,” Eren admitted awkwardly. 

“Disgusting,” Levi purred into Eren’s ear before pulling back enough to kiss him once more. This one was much slower and considerate, as if they literally had all the time in the world. 

“Stay the night?” Eren asked, hopeful. 

“I’ve got training in the morning. I’ll take you up on that date though, since by morning we might as well be married according to the press.” 

It wasn’t news to the world that Levi spent time with friends - friends whom he was frequently photographed with in his spare time. They often made side appearances beside him in trashy gossip magazines, Eren increasing in appearance by the athlete’s side sparked conversation and rumour that he was possibly Levi’s next beau. 

Even the mass media had seen the way they looked at each other and the two were still hopelessly ignorant, willingly or otherwise. 

“Stay a little while at least?” Eren pleaded, curling his fingers around the lapels of Levi’s coat jacket, tugging him closer. Levi couldn’t turn him away, gladly slipping his hands around Eren’s waist. 

“This definitely isn’t weird right?” Levi asked again. 

“The only thing weird about this is how long it took for it to happen,” Eren laughed, leaning in for another kiss. 

Eren was right, it wasn’t weird at all. It just felt so right, being so intimately close. 

However, after years of secretly spying on Levi’s professional and personal life through tabloids - seeing the back of his own head in the newspapers - was weird. 

‘Ackerman spotted with mystery man.’ 

The blurb beneath suggested it could have been ‘Sina University team coach Yeager’, which despite the blindingly obvious evidence of their attraction, the man himself was surprised they were so well informed. 

He woke up to all sorts of missed calls and messages from friends and colleagues alike. Vultures, the lot of them. The messages went ignored. He’d probably hear all about it from his boss later that day.

For Levi and his manager Hange, it was nothing new having him snapshotted with a new love interest. Hange had however heard all about Eren, so didn’t hold back in teasing him about it. Levi didn’t dignify the teases with any sort of response, even if the memory of Eren’s lips finally against his own was seared into the forefront of all thoughts for his entire training session that day. 

In the following weeks Eren attended every one of Levi’s matches and it soon became public knowledge that even if the two didn’t put a label on themselves, it was very obvious that they were an item. 

They insisted on taking things slowly, although that was just the awkwardness talking. They’d only been on three dates and they didn’t feel any different to their usual hang out sessions. Suddenly doing all the same things they used to, only as a couple, felt a bit strange after so long. 

Especially when it came to the late evenings. 

“I’ve got tomorrow off, wanna do a sofa night?” Eren asked Levi over the phone as he headed to his car after work. Levi had him on speaker as he worked out at home. 

“Sounds good,” Levi huffed out, mid-rep. 

“I can swing by mine on the way to yours if you’re still busy?” suggested Eren. Levi agreed and Eren proceeded to pick up an overnight bag and drive over to Levi’s apartment complex. Levi was situated in a high rise penthouse in the middle of the city overlooking the river and the stadium. According to Levi, Eren’s small townhouse was much more up his alley, as it was more humble. An expensive postcode and bespoke furniture wasn’t always guaranteed to turn an apartment into a home. 

It was home when Eren came over, though. 

Eren had already had a key to his apartment for about a year now, since he was always over there so often. They’d seen each other half naked plenty of times in the last ten years, and today was no exception as Levi strolled casually from his ensuite out into the bedroom where Eren was sat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed while Levi got dressed. 

“How was your day?” Levi asked as he slipped into his underwear. Eren was sad to see the rear view disappear, but he still appreciated the way said underwear hugged his toned bum so nicely. His mind was focused solely on what it might feel like to touch. So focused in fact he didn’t even notice Levi slipping on a vest and his sweatpants and walking up to him. 

“Huh?” Eren said, only now noticing his approach. Levi rested his hands on Eren’s cheeks and smiled softly. 

“We doing this sofa evening or what?” Levi asked, thumbing over Eren’s stubble affectionately. Eren really wanted to wrap his hands around Levi’s backside but he knew as soon as he did they’d probably never separate. Not being so close to the bed. 

“Yeah, mind if I take a shower first?” Eren asked and Levi hummed his approval. A cold one was needed if he was going to control himself tonight. He still felt a bit strange initiating anything, so wanted to convince himself to take things slow just a little while longer. He would deny his feelings as long as he could. Until they were forced to surface. That’s how he usually operated and it had worked in keeping him safe from rejection for the most part. 

But then, he thought, why should he have to hold back with Levi? It’s not like he wanted to. Levi was holding back too though, right? 

Oh, right. Shower. 

Eren dried off in record timing and met up with Levi on the large, comfortable sofa. He already had the tub of ice cream out and was curled up in a soft blanket with the fireplace lit. Eren crawled over to him and nestled between the back of the sofa and Levi’s side. Levi had a spoon full of ice cream waiting for him, and he opened his mouth to be fed. 

They remained curled up together until the rest of the ice cream had been finished off, a drip on Eren’s lip being the only invitation Levi needed to steal another kiss. 

One kiss led to another and Eren was beneath Levi’s blanket with him. Levi’s hand was bunched up in Eren’s long hair and Eren finally had his hands on Levi’s bum, pulling them both flush together as their kisses grew heated. 

“Should we perhaps... take this to the bedroom?” Levi suggested with an uncharacteristic shyness to his tone of voice. It was impossible to ignore their joint arousal, firmly nestled between them. Eren just laughed breathlessly and looked Levi in the eye for a moment. 

“Sure, I mean, if you want to?” He said, still a little unsure at the unexplored territory of sex. 

“We have to eventually, right?” He said softly, stroking Eren’s hair from his face and tucking it behind his ear, hand continuing past to rest across his neck. 

“Well, only if you want to.” 

“Fuck, I want to. Do you?” Levi asked. 

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Eren retorted, making Levi laugh. 

The awkwardness didn’t end there. If anyone had been watching the scene play out, it would have made great material for a romantic comedy movie. 

They sat on the edge of the bed, fully clothed and arousals waning with disappointment as they waited for the other to make a move. 

They went to say something at the same time, didn’t try to say it again, and sat in silence. 

“Wow,” Levi said a few moments later. “We suck at this.”

“I don’t wanna fuck this up, you know?” Eren admitted. 

“Me too,” agreed Levi. 

His earlier thoughts of not needing to hold back with Levi struck Eren again, so he took the initiative and lunged for his lover, pinning him to the bed with a searing kiss. That was all Levi needed to break free from his shackles of awkward tension. 

Within a matter of seconds they had scooted up the bed, shed their shirts and pants and crawled beneath the sheets to keep the chill off their bare skin until things heated up a little more. 

It wasn’t long until that happened. 

Levi’s legs parted willingly and Eren was between them in a heartbeat, fuelled by needy hands gripping at his skin and urging him closer, urging his lips harder and the press of their hips firmer. 

Eren rocked his hips into Levi’s, making it up as he went. It’d been a while, which was why he was feeling anxious, but Levi was a receptive partner and rewarded every right move with soft little gasps and moans. Thankfully he also guided him if he did anything less desirable or if he was just shy of hitting the mark. 

With years of communication practice, the two made an incredible duo in bed. They weren’t afraid to tell each other what they liked, what they didn’t like, make jokes at each other and laugh at their own mistakes. 

Eren was a little surprised that Levi was so willing to bottom the first time. Levi insisted it was because he was probably more used to it than Eren was, which calmed him. 

“We’ll try it when you’re ready,” Levi had told him before devouring his mouth again, his hand disappearing down the front of Eren’s underwear, stroking his length lazily as they kissed following their first two rounds. They’d had a night of testing and trying out each other’s bodies and could now say they were getting the hang of it. 

Eren groaned, tired, as Levi coaxed the life back into his cock for the third time that night. 

“Another round?” Levi’s suggestion left Eren looking scandalised. Levi just kissed his neck and chest while he lay there limply. 

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to move for this one, I know you’re tired,” Levi assured him, kissing a burning trail down Eren’s chest and stomach. Levi made quick work of returning Eren’s full arousal to his cock, pulling off with a lewd pop, licking his lips. 

“Fuck you’re beautiful,” Eren gasped, hand on Levi’s neck affectionately. His face was flushed and his lips pink from the friction, and it just made Eren even more turned on. 

Levi wordlessly scooted up and straddled Eren’s hips after rolling another condom on. Eren wasn’t small by any standards, but the angle had Levi throwing his head back before he’d even bottomed out. He slowly lowered himself down onto Eren’s cock and gradually picked up speed, instructing Eren to prop his legs up a little and hold his hips. 

“Meet my thrusts,” Levi asked of his lover, who complied, having both of them a moaning mess in no time at all, painting themselves with proof of their effectiveness in record timing. 

“Fuck Levi, that was…” 

“Incredible?” Levi finished Eren’s sentence and all Eren could do was groan his approval as Levi ground against him, riding out the rest of their orgasms as slowly as he could. 

He gingerly sat up and Eren helped to slip himself free from Levi’s thoroughly used backside. They hobbled over to the shower and stared at it pathetically before Eren hunched over to hit the tap for the bath. Levi towelled them both down gently while they waited for it to fill. 

“Well I’m glad that awkwardness is over,” Levi laughed, getting in after Eren to settle against his chest in the spacious bath. The water was hot bubbly perfection against both of their aching, sated bodies. It was pure bliss. Levi could have very well fallen asleep there and then if it wasn’t for Eren speaking up.

“Hey Levi?” 

“Yeah?” Levi replied, one hand each interlinked against Levi’s chest, his free hand brushing gently over the hairs on Eren’s knuckles. 

“While we’re being honest, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you,” he said without hesitation. 

Gotta hand it to the guy, he was always bluntly honest. Levi couldn’t feel anything other than warmth at the admission, melting into Eren’s embrace and tightening his grip on his hand to know the feeling was not rejected. 

“I’m pretty sure I love you too, Eren.” 

\---

Despite how well things seemed to be going, it wasn’t five months of them dating before one of them finally cracked. 

It was between league seasons, so Levi was free and available to partake in all sorts of promotional matches against budding talent, with other teams, such as the olympics, and test matches. 

One of these very test matches was a live broadcast between Levi and a few surprise contenders. It was like filmed practice time, where the stadium would put on somewhat more theatrical pieces for audiences to keep them busy in the downtime. It kept the athletes fit and healthy, too. 

Levi had ranked top of all qualifying matches, so naturally he was the name to beat in a series of five random games against five random, secret opponents. 

Not even he knew who he would be up against. 

The stadium was full, the artificial walls of the first match built with molecular projection technology. They were just like real walls and obstacles, simply built with a pre-programmed map and projected onto the field. It also meant there was practically no time required in changing maps. 

Levi stood at the starting podium for his side, and the commentator announced his arrival with gusto. His first opponent was Erwin. It was an energetic, powerful fight against the two who ducked and weaved between walls and corridors in order to be the first person to score three hits to the chest. Hits to the arms or legs didn’t count, and only prevented use of that limb for a couple of seconds while the stun wore off. 

It rarely slowed Levi down. 

He ended up winning 3-1. He forgave Erwin for being able to clip him once. He did after all teach him all those years ago. They shook hands and the day continued. 

Meanwhile, while Levi was busy fighting off his surprise opponents, Eren prepared for a battle of his own - getting through traffic. 

“Fuck fuck fuck!” he almost shouted, trying to duck and weave throughout the gridlines of the hoverlanes. They would flash red in warning whenever he flew a little too close to designated flight zone borders. Leave the designated areas too many times and you were clocked up and points were added to your license. It infuriated him. He needed to get to the stadium as soon as possible to cheer Levi on. 

Meanwhile, Levi finished off his next opponent with ease. The crowd was having a field day, and the press were going wild. 

He returned to his starter podium while the pitch reset and built itself into the final game. He recognised the outline of it in no time. It was a maze. 

Two starter podiums at either side of the pitch, the goal was to avoid being shot on your way to the centre of the ever-shifting labyrinth. Beat the opponent to the middle and you won the game. 

“Just a small announcement everyone, our final surprise contender is running late, please bear with us, get yourself some refreshments and we’ll be with you all again shortly for our grand finale!” Eren heard the announcers say over the radio as he pulled the car up and sprinted into the building. Levi didn’t know he was being pitted against his lover for the final round. 

Fifteen minutes, a restless crowd brewing and one pissed off Hange later, Eren was in position. He entered the starter’s podium wearing a helmet to obstruct his face from his boyfriend’s view. The ticker counted their start time and to give Eren a chance, he was permitted to cheat. 

On purpose, mind. 

It wouldn’t take Levi long to get past the obstacles en route to the center, which gave Eren just enough time to take a pre-mapped shortcut straight across the field and into the centre ring of the maze. The scoreboard didn’t change when he reached the threshold, as that wasn’t the intention behind the game. 

If both competitors made it through the multiple gauntlets in one piece, they were required to fight one on one for the title ‘King of the Maze’. 

The crowd were kept entertained with Levi’s ducks and dives between fire and rolling boulders, shifting floors, gunfire and moving walls. Eren glanced up at the huge screens, noticing how good Levi was doing. He was on top of his game today, and Eren almost dreaded the moment Levi would find him in the middle before him. He deactivated his helmet and waited for his lover’s approach. 

It didn’t take long. 

Levi’s face was priceless. Neither of them could hear the commentators from the field, but there was no doubt conversation going on regarding Levi facing off against his surprise boyfriend opponent. Levi literally stopped in his tracks and faltered with his weapon, letting it fall to his side for a moment as he looked around. 

Eren held his hands out, indicating that he was unarmed and Levi slowly raised his gun back up, stepping forward ever so slowly. It could very well still be a hologram. He observed very slowly as Eren started to kneel down and decided upon taking a test shot at Eren’s chest armour to see if he was in fact real. 

Oops. He was real. 

Eren groaned as he was thrown onto his back. Levi ran over to help give him a hand up and was shot in the chest in return. Eren let out a loud laugh and went over to offer Levi a hand up. 

Levi lay on his back, pointing his gun at Eren, signifying that he had the upper hand, and thus, the match. Eren yielded with no complaint, which Levi found unusual, and took the hand offered to get to his feet as the crowd roared. 

Eren didn’t join him in standing though, returning to his kneeled position and keeping hold of Levi’s hand. Levi paled as he realised what was happening. What was happening, and where it was happening. Eren had a box in his free hand. 

“Before you say anything, hear me out?” Eren said softly, only for them two to hear. Levi was acutely aware of every single camera angle focused on them right about now. 

“I know what I said about not wanting the attention from the press, or having the world know every detail about us, and hell, most of that is still accurate,” Eren laughed, adjusting his grip a little and thumbing over the back of Levi’s gloved hand. 

“I can handle the attention as long as I have you, Levi. I love you and I don’t want to wait ten years to bro-marry you. Marry me now instead. Marry me for real,” Eren said with ten years of conviction carrying his proposal. 

Levi had always maintained a certain demeanour of ‘cold badass’ when on the field - the fans ate it up - but today was one of those ‘fuck it’ days. Your lover only proposes to you on national television once, he might as well give them something worth watching. 

He fell to his knees and held Eren’s face, guiding him into as shielded a kiss as he could manage. As soon as their lips were slotted together, Eren swung his arms around Levi’s back and held him close. The stadium full of people cheered for them until well after they had parted and Eren had given Levi the ring. Levi couldn't hide the huge smile on his face if he tried. 

They took each other’s hands and headed back through the clearing arena, up the ramp of the starter podium and thrust their joint fist into the air at the top. 

It was one of the most widely watched matches outside of league games and the nation celebrated the couple’s love.

A love that would only continue to grow over the years.

In a proper, non bromantic, very real marriage.


End file.
